Premiers reaffirm commitment to MELT program

by Truck News

SASKATOON, Sask. – Canada’s premiers have reaffirmed their commitment to adopting a minimum national entry-level training standard for truck drivers by 2021.

The announcement came at their meeting in Saskatoon this week, where trucking issues were a major topic of discussion, the Canadian Trucking Alliance reported Friday.

The mandatory entry-level driver training (MELT) program, unveiled in the wake of last year’s fatal truck crash involving a bus carrying members of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team, is at various stages of implementation nationwide.

Citing the crash that killed 16, the premiers reiterated their pledge to support the trucking industry in “taking a more urgent look at the state of road and commercial safety … and how it can be improved to help prevent future collisions”, the report said.

The premiers also announced that the provinces are exploring online programming options for the in-class portion of commercial driver training.

In addition, they completed reconciliation agreements that will address differences in the areas of occupational safety, transportation and technical safety.

Specifically related to trucking, the provinces announced weights for single wide-base tires and dual tires will be aligned to make use of singles more practical for trucking fleets on major trade routes, the report said.


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